US mulls possible evacuation of Kabul embassy
US forces had carried out a strike in Sherzad on Friday in defence of "friendly forces", a spokesperson for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said in Kabul. PHOTO: REUTERS
The United States government was contemplating the possible evacuation of its embassy in Kabul amid the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, reported an article published in The Politico's newsletter on global events - National Security (NatSec) Daily - on Thursday.
Earlier today, the Taliban fighters captured the city of Ghazni, the ninth provincial capital they have seized in a week, as US intelligence said Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, a few hours drive away, could fall to the insurgents within 90 days.
The speed of the Taliban advance has sparked widespread recriminations over US President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw US troops and leave the Afghan government to fight alone.
According to the NatSec Daily, the US State Department did not deny that an evacuation was being considered.
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"Our posture has not changed,” a State Department official told NatSec Daily. “As we do for every diplomatic post in a challenging security environment, we will evaluate threats daily and make decisions that are in the interests of individuals serving at our Embassy about how to keep them safe."
The official further added that the Kabul embassy had been on ordered departure status since April 27.
The article further stated that one US Senate staffer was wary of the findings regarding how 'fluid the situation' was in Afghanistan based on a detailed assessment from US Central Command, Defense Intelligence Agency and CIA - which were first posted.
“It doesn’t sound right. It runs the other way of how [the administration is] briefing,” said the Senate staffer. “The Taliban need another fighting season.”